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Laws of the Cayman Islands

The Cayman Islands' legal system is based on English common law, locally enacted statutes and Orders-in-Council. Local principal statutes (laws) are passed by the Legislative Assembly and assented to by the Governor. Although the Legislative Assembly must approve some subordinate legislation (regulations, orders, rules) such legislation is usually made by the Governor acting on the advice of the Cabinet. As the Cayman Islands are an overseas territory of the United Kingdom, the United Kingdom retains the right to extend certain legislative provisions to the Islands and this is done by Orders-in-Council (laws adopted) made under the royal prerogative. The addition of local statutes has, in many respects changed and modernized the common law. The Islands have a sound legal and judicial system, which is constantly being upgraded to meet the needs of the modern Cayman Islands.

This site contains details of all the Consultation drafts, Laws drafted, Laws adopted, and Laws in force of the Cayman Islands.

Consultation drafts are issues papers, research papers, discussion papers and Bills produced by the Legislative Drafting Department and the Law Reform Commission. The role of the Legislative Drafting Department is to draft primary and subordinate legislation and to amend such legislation. The task of the Law Reform Commission is to study and keep under constant review the statutes and other laws comprising the law of the Cayman Islands with a view to its systemic development and reform. Consultation drafts are published and circulated to obtain the widest range of views on a subject from interested parties. Links to current and past consultation drafts can be found here.

Laws drafted lists laws by year, which have been drafted by the Law Reform Commission and the Legal Drafting Department, which have yet to be approved by the Legislative Assembly.

Laws adopted are United Kingdom Statutory Instruments made under United Kingdom Acts of Parliament, applying to or relevant to the Islands, which have been published in the Official Gazette or which are referred to in other United Kingdom Statutory Instruments published in the Official Gazette. Also listed are Orders made in the Islands under the authority of United Kingdom Statutory Instruments.

Laws in force consist of the up-to-date Consolidated Index of Laws and Subsidiary Legislation of the Cayman Islands. This index is compiled annually by the Law Revision Commissioner.